Man faked licence for an iPhone

A WHITTINGTON man who altered a stolen driver’s licence to buy a mobile phone and drove disqualified has been fined $1250 and ordered to pay back more than $2350 to Optus.

The Geelong Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday Jordan Miller, 25, imposed a photo of himself on a stolen driver’s licence and used a Medicare card in the same name to enter into a 24-month iPhone 7 contract at an Optus store in Melbourne in August 2017.

The court was told police used CCTV and a statement from the owner of the licence to track Miller.

His crimes were uncovered when the fake licence and Medicare card were found in his car when police pulled him over in Solar Drive, Whittington, on November 30, 2017.

Checks of his licence found that it had been disqualified for four years in August 2017.

Yesterday, Miller told the court “stupidity” and desperation because he was homeless at the time was the reason for his actions.

“I was not in a good place ... I did it for money and I regret it,” Miller said.

Magistrate John Lesser convicted and fined Miller $500 for disqualified driving.

He was also fined $750 for obtaining property by deception. Miller will also have to pay $82.40 in statutory costs, and $2352 to Optus.